The Changing Face of School Security: An Allegion Podcast

S1 Ep. 28 Beyond the Badge The Evolution of the School Resource Officer

The role of School Resource Officers (SRO) has evolved over the last three decades. The stigma of the “kiddie cop” is long gone—today, SROs are expected to be the best of the best: carefully selected, specially trained professionals who wear multiple hats, including informal counselor, public safety educator and law enforcement officer.  Although this role has gained more credit over the years, a significant gap still exists between SROs and educators. The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), led by special podcast guest Mo Canady, seeks to narrow that gap through collaboration, cross training and standardized language.  We’re joined by a panel of SROs—Beth Sanborn, Manny Fardella and D.J. Schoeff—as they speak about their experiences, struggles and learnings during their time in this important role.

S1 Ep. 27 Everything is Bigger in Texas Scaling School Safety with Dr. Kathy Martinez-Prather

In this episode of The Changing Face of School Security, host Paul Timm interviews Dr. Kathy Martinez-Prather, the director of the Texas School Safety Center.  Established in 1999 following the Columbine tragedy, the Texas School Safety Center serves as the central hub for school safety in the state, providing free training, research and technical assistance to districts. A major focus of the center is moving from reactive measures to preventative ones. Texas mandates behavioral threat assessment teams on every campus, and the center has trained over 64,000 school personnel using models based on the National Threat Assessment Center and Secret Service guidelines.  More episode highlights include a “parent toolkit” which helps parents navigate legislation and reporting, the evolution of security technology as a complementary tool and more!

S1 Ep. 26 Alyssa’s Law and Making Our School’s Safer with Panic Button Systems

Paul Timm speaks with Lori Alhadeff, founder of Make Our Schools Safe and school board member, about Alyssa’s Law and practical approaches to improving school safety. Lori shares her personal story and the mission that led to nationwide advocacy for panic button systems. Topics include the evolution from hardwired panic buttons to app and wearable solutions, the importance of direct connections to local law enforcement, and the value of robust integrations like critical incident mapping. Lori highlights MOSS Clubs, a student-led program that builds peer mentorship and a culture of safety. The episode explores funding challenges, the drive for federal standards, and the central idea that faster response time equals more lives saved.

S1 Ep. 25 Beyond the Door: How Glass Shapes School Security, and the Codes that Bind Them

While a properly locked door may be at the forefront of the conversations surrounding school safety solutions, glass plays a significant role in the foundations of security.  Though it may seem intuitive, not all applications demand the same type of glass. In this episode, Devin Bowman of Technical Glass Products (TGP) and AD Systems covers different types of glass used in schools, including annealed, tempered, wired, laminated, and acrylic. Tempered and laminated glass are more commonly used in schools today.  More discussions include building codes and standards outlining the appropriate glass products for school safety and security, technology-based evolutions to commonly used solutions, and the importance of collaboration between the glass industry, architects, administrators, and first responders to make informed decisions about school security measures.

(Part 2) S1 Ep. 24 Refocus, Rethink, Relentless: National Safe Schools Week

This is Part 2 of a 2 part episode featuring experts from Safe and Sound Schools.  National Safe Schools Week brings us the opportunity to reflect on, refocus and rethink the importance of school safety, addressing physical, mental and emotional well-being, and empowering both teachers and students with safety skills beyond just school protocols.  In this episode, Paul Timm is joined by Michele Gay, Missy Dodds and Molly Hudgens of Safe and Sound Schools to discuss their relentless efforts to build strong communities and teams to address school safety, not just this week but throughout the entire school year.  More episode highlights include the importance of awareness, engagement and collaboration in school safety efforts, building strong, multidisciplinary teams that include students and the broader community, and more resources on training and support from Safe and Sound Schools.